You'd Make a Hell of a Pirate
by turningpaige
Summary: Captain Swan AU with Emma as the Dread Pirate Roberts CS Secret Survivor Present for swanfeels on Tumblr
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Happy CS Secret Survivor Pressie day! A few things: this is obviously a CS AU and it is heavily influenced by 'The Princess Bride'. Killian still has his left hand (for reasons), he is obviously born a few hundred years later (and in a different kingdom) than in canon. Therefore he never meets Milah. Also I didn't have any one to edit this so I apologize for any typos, misspellings, etc. **

**TW: Non-explicit character death. **

**I claim no ownership of neither the wonderful characters, worlds, etc. from OUAT nor from 'The Princess Bride'. **

**I hope you like it, Vana! **

Killian stood with his knees bent, his right arm extended behind him and jabbed his sword in Roberts's direction. Roberts deflected the blow easily and moved out of the way when Killian sliced near her head. Killian circled turning his back to the cliff's edge as he locked his icy eyes with Roberts's emerald ones. He lunged forward again. Testing the woman in black. The female captain parried again and sliced his blade through the air next to Killian's right cheek. The two regarded each other for a few seconds before a grin spread onto Killian's face. Finally after 20 years, someone to challenge him. The two shuffled back and forth across the dusty ground as their blades clashed. Killian spun quickly, slicing his sword through the air, but Roberts ducked and avoided the blade. As the two fought a grin spread across Roberts face.

"You are using Bonetti's defense against me, ah?"

"I thought it fitting considering the rocky terrain," Roberts snarked back at him as Killian backed her onto a boulder.

"Naturally, you must expect me to attack with capo ferro," Killian said as he followed the captain up the uneven rock.

"Naturally but I find that Tibault cancels out capo ferro, don't you" Roberts replied with a teasing grin as she deftly blocked Killian's attacks. She jumped back off the edge of the boulder to avoid a strike to the chest.

"Unless the enemy has studied his Agrippa," Killian answered before jumping off the rock and flipping over the woman in black. He landed, sword at the ready in front of the female captain, "which I have," he finished with a smirk.

The two brought their swords again and shuffled back towards the edge of the cliff. A wide grin on Killian's face as he met Roberts blows.

"You are wonderful!" exclaimed Killian as he was pushed down a slippery bit of sand.

"Thank you, I've worked hard to become so," Roberts replied as she took the offence.

"I admit it you are better than I am." Killian said with a grin.

"Then why are you smiling?" the captain inquired.

"Because I know something you don't know," Killian responded as he was backed against the edge of the cliff

"And what is that?" the woman in black asked.

"I am not left-handed." Killian spun his blade and switched it to his right hand before attacking the other pirate captain. Pushing her back, away from the cliff's edge. She hopped up onto a crumbled step and struggled to block Killian's attacks with his stronger right hand. She fell against a step as Killian jabbed her sword at her. Once. Twice. Three times before she was up on her feet and climbing the stairs again. She swiped at Killian's head, but he ducked.

"You are amazing," she said as the two reached the landing of the stairs.

"I ought to be after twenty years," Killian replied as he pushed her up against the broken stone wall.

"There's something I ought to tell you," Roberts groaned as Killian trapped her arm against the stones.

"Tell me," Killian said as rocks fell away behind the captain's back.

"I'm not left-handed either," she said as she used her right arm to push the captain off of her. She threw her blade into the air and caught it deftly in her right hand. Within seconds she disarmed Killian and his sword was thrown off of the landing. Killian looked back at her eyes wide. She advanced toward him yet only gestured towards his sword. He jumped off the stairs and swung from a moss covered rod embedded in an archway landing clumsily and staggering to pick up his weapon.

Roberts tilted her head to the side and her mouth twisted into a small smile. She threw her sword down in front of the opposing captain who looked up at her mouth open in confusion. She too jumped from the steps swinging around the rod in rod in the archway and flipping in the air as she released it. She landed smoothly right next to her sword. Which she picked up as she tucked her left arm behind her back.

"Who are you?" Killian asked stunned.

"No one of consequence," the woman smiled.

"I must know," Killian said with a small shake of his head.

"Get used to disappointment," Roberts returned simply.

Killian shrugged before moving forward to attack. They fought again, this time with Roberts left arm behind her back until Killian turned his back to her and sliced his blade behind him then down between his legs in an attempt to surprise Roberts. Roberts blocked it easily. Killian felt a whoosh of air as the captain swiped at his heels, but he jumped out of the sword's path. He ran up a small crumbled stair and turned to wait for his opponent. She moved forward to attack, moving over the uneven ground as if it were smooth, polished stone. A few attacks later and she had disarmed Killian yet again. He pushed himself over a rock and caught his sword in his hand before it hit the ground. He then took the offence as the female pirate again tucked her left hand behind her back. The two met each other blow for blow until out of desperation Killian swiped the air around her face, giving Roberts the opportunity she needed to nick his ear and disarm him for a final time. She circled him, hand on her hip sword extended towards him.

"Well done lass, you bested me, I can count the number of people who've done that on one hand," he breathed, "Kill me quickly."

"I would sooner destroy a stained glass window as an artist such as yourself, however since I can't have you following me either," she clubbed him over the head with the hilt of her sword. He grunted and fell forward onto the sandy ground. "

"Killian," Emma sighed, "What are you doing?"


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Finally. Sorry this is kind of late. I've been super busy with college. I apologize for any grammatical/spelling errors, I didn't use a beta. I hope you all like it (Especially you, Vana, this is your story after all). Reviews give me life. If you want to speculate about what you think will happen next or just talk to me feel free to message me on Tumblr, I won't bite. **

**As usual I don't own any of these wonderful worlds or the character in them. **

Killian jerked awake, his whole body ached. He was filled with a pang of remorse as the memories of the fight came flooding back to him. As he realized his defeat he was struck by an overwhelming feeling of failure. He had let her down, again. He had failed to protect her years ago when the Evil Queen had attacked, when she needed him most, and now he had failed her again with his inability to avenge her death.

He stood up, shaking his head, pushing the emotions from his mind, he needed to focus. He had to find the woman in black. He stretched his sore muscles as his eyes searched the area for his blade. He saw no trace of it, yet as he scanned the rocky terrain, his eyes fell across a trail of small, dainty footprints that led off, away from the cliff face.

Something about her face haunted him. Her brilliant green eyes had pierced his heart. They were just like _her's._ He recalled how they had narrowed at him as they dueled, the way a grin spread across her face after he had complimented her form, their easy banter. God, it was so obvious now, she was the one who had taught him to begin a fight with his left hand after all.

He smiled to himself, maybe he didn't need his revenge after all. He ran off in the direction of the footprints.

Emma panted as she stopped to catch her breath on the edge of the ravine. How could he be here? How had he found her? As much as she feared for him, she couldn't deny the happiness that rose within her. Something she hadn't felt in too long. Her stomach had clenched at the resolve in his eyes as he had challenged her to a duel to avenge his love. She hadn't truly realized it was him, until he had begun the fight with his left hand. A trick that her father had taught her, and one that she had shared with Killian on one of their moonlight spars.

"So we meet again, lass," Emma froze. She had been lost in thought, had stopped for too long. She hadn't anticipated him catching up to her. As she turned to face him, she noted the change in his demeanor.

He knew.

She had been foolish to think that he wouldn't recognize her.

"So it would seem, back for another round, Captain," she grinned cheekily at him. But he saw it now, the way her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. The effort it took for her to keep up her façade, the strength drained from her as she held up her walls.

He stepped towards her and she reached for her sword. But, before she could draw it, he closed the distance between them, his hand covering hers on the sword hilt, preventing her from drawing her weapon. Emma felt familiar sparks as his skin brushed hers.

"I'm pretty good at knowing when someone is lying to me," he said. "Just who are you, lass?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" she breathed. She avoided his gaze desperately searching for something, anything to look at other than his brilliant blue eyes. Until he touched her face, his hand guiding her chin up, forcing her to lift her eyes to meet his.

"Perhaps I would," he replied softly.

She held his gaze carefully. He reached behind her head and pulled the ties of her mask free. Her golden hair tumbling over her shoulders as he pulled the thin black material away.

"Emma," he whispered, his voice soft, he brushed his hand across her cheek, softly, as if she were made of glass and might shatter. He shook his head, willing this not to be a dream. "I thought you were dead."

"I know, you challenged me to a duel to avenge my death," she laughed humorlessly.

He shook his head, she didn't understand. Anger grew in his gut as he thought of all the time they had lost. His eyes grew dark and he found his voice.

"You let me believe that you were dead!" he exploded, "for 7 bloody years!"

"I didn't have a choice! She took everything from me, she killed everyone I loved! I couldn't live knowing that you would be in danger because of me," she shouted back, "You were safer without me," she whispered.

"That wasn't your decision to make Emma," he said, his eyes softening. "I told you once that I would follow you to the end of the world, and I meant it."

"Killian, I'm not the same person that I was. You don't know me, I'm nothing but a pirate."

"Emma, I know you better than you know yourself," he said, moving back into her space. "It doesn't matter to me if you're a princess or a pirate. I'm tired of living in the past. I'm tired of wasting away, chasing revenge."

"Killian," she whispered.

"Swan," he breathed. "I had a lot of time to think on my ship, a lot of drunken nights, wishing that we'd never met, that you'd never broken my heart. I wondered what my life would have been had we never met. Yet every time I thought about it, I came to the same conclusion. I'd pick you; in a hundred lifetimes, in a hundred worlds, in any version of reality, I'd find you and I'd pick you." He searched her eyes, for some indication, any indication that his feelings were reciprocated. And then her eyes twinkled.

"Good," she whispered.

Blackbeard lined his boots up with the footprints on the dusty ground. "There was," he said shuffling his feet, as if dueling an invisible foe, "a mighty duel. It ranged all over," he gestured around the ruins. "They were both masters."  
"Who won? How did it end?" His first mate enquired.  
"The winner," he pointed towards a trail of footprints, "went that way, towards Guilder. They were followed, presumably by the loser."

"Captain, could this be a trap? Rumplestiltskin has been seen in Guilder."  
"It matters not, the lass stole what was rightfully mine. I will have my revenge, whatever the cost," he growled, dark eyes fixed on the trail.


End file.
